Hm, I thought VioletGatesy was in more of an all or nothing situation; she only drank soda, water was not an option. Look, soda/cupcakes are fine as a once in a while treat, but it's not healthy to live on it. If you're happy with that, good for you! Seriously, go on ahead and do it, it's not that big of a deal, your…

Exactly! I remember one study (can't remember the details at the moment) that basically found that as a nation we drink enough calories through sweetened beverages for a large fourth meal every day. That's a lot.

Do you respond this way to people who say that tobacco isn't good for you? It's your business if you smoke, but let's not pretend it's ok just because your grandma did it and lived to be 110. It is possible to point out that a substance is bad for people without shaming the individuals who use it. In fact, I blame the…

I don't know, a lot of people seem to say things like, "Oh, I *only* drink one or two cans a day" or something like that (emphasis mine). That implies to me that a good amount of people think that drinking soda every day is ok.

I think it may be a pun about breasts? Like, full hands?

I grew up only drinking non-caffeinated soda at special occasions (birthday parties or when we went out to eat, which was once, maaybe twice a month) until I was 10 or 11. I think it made soda more fun when I could have it, and now drinking it regularly feels really weird. Kids don't need to drink soda every day!

Have you tried fruit teas? Those are often pretty sweet!

You know, everyone has their vice. In the scheme of things, diet soda really isn't that bad. It just amazes me how *common* it is, how much people drink, and how many people outright refuse to recognize it as being not-healthy.

But, veggies aren't an alternative, they're a necessity. Maybe you don't like raw spinach, but you may like kale sautéed in soy sauce, or a sprout and beet salad with a delicious dressing. Actually, the idea of flavored fizzy waters is a good extension of the metaphor! In fact, many people already do that through…

When you juice fruit, you take all the sugar and calories and pretty much get rid of all the fiber and other good stuff. Juice often has more sugar and calories than regular soda. Yeah, you get some vitamins, but that's not enough to balance out the calories and sugar. No, juice doesn't have links to cancer, but it…

And vegetables don't (to some people) taste as good as cupcakes. That doesn't mean you can replace vegetables with cupcakes and yell at people who try to tell you it's not health. And yes, you're replacing water with soda, not the other way around. Water was there first.

Why do you need to reward exercise with food? That's creating an unhealthy dynamic where exercise is punishment/"bad", while food is reward and something forbidden. Rewarding yourself for exercising is a fine motivational tool, but using food to do so sets people up for disordered thinking.

Well, tea without sugar is good for you! Tea, especially green tea, has many health benefits. I also like drinking lemon or lime water. I've also heard of people soaking berries in water to flavor it.

Juice isn't worse than diet soda, not at all! I was trying to say that it's basically as bad as regular soda, which people don't often realize when they substitute it in in an effort to be healthier. It's not as bad chemically (usually) but it's just as bad, if not worse, in terms of calories and sugar content. Sorry…

It amazes me how much soda, diet and regular, people seem to drink. If you drink it everyday, that's too much.

Also, it's really worth keeping in mind that she used to live in the U.S.S.R., and was writing in response to that experience. I mean, I'm not a fan like you are, but it's interesting to look at what she wrote in the context of her world.

He said in an interview that they did it on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. I think.

Yeah! I'm normal, just on the really tight side, and she gave me a couple of pointers. It's really just an issue of me stretching out the muscles. But before I could work it out, I broke up with my boyfriend, then summer vacation separated me from new guy before we could try. So, hopefully soon!

And the old couple going online together is adorable.

Same here, except I'm still trying to work it up to the first time! Seriously, my partner(s) would REALLY appreciate me being less tight. I think they'd like to have sex with me eventually.